HUNTING THE BLESBOK. 2(3 



and in /ariable manner in which they scour the plains, right in th 

 wind's eye, and also in the manner in which they carry their noses 

 close along the ground. Throughout the greater part of the yeai 

 they are very wary and difficult of approach, but more especially 

 when the does have young ones. At that season, when one herd ij 

 disturbed, and takes away up the wind, every other herd in view 

 follows them ; and the alarm extending for miles and miles down 

 the wind, to endless herds beyond the vision of the hunter, a con- 

 tinued stream of blesboks may often be seen scouring up wind for 

 upward of an hour, and covering the landscape as far as the eye 

 can see. The springboks, which in equal numbers frequent the 

 same ground, do not, in general, adopt the same decided course as 

 the blesboks, but take away in every direction across the plains, 

 sometimes with flying bounds, beautifully exhibiting the long> 

 snowy-white hair with which their backs are adorned, and at 

 others walking slowly and carelessly out of the hunter's* way, 

 scarcely deigning to look at him, with an air of perfect independ- 

 ence, as if aware of their own matchless speed. 



The black wildebeests, which also thickly cover the entire 

 length and breadth of the blesbok country, in herds averaging 

 from twenty to fifty, have no regular course, like the blesboks. 

 Unless driven by a large field of hunters, they do not leave their 

 ground, although disturbed. Wheeling about in endless circles, 

 and performing the most extraordinary variety of intricate evolu- 

 tions, the shaggy herds of these eccentric and fierce-looking ani- 

 mals are forever capering and gamboling round the hunter on 

 every side. While he fe rid'ng hard to obtain a family shot of a 

 herd in front of him, other herds are charging down wind on his 

 right and left, and, having described a number of circular move- 

 ments, they take up positions upon the very ground across which 

 the hunter rode only a few minutes before. 



Singly, and in small troops of four or five individuals, the old 

 bull wildebeests may be seen stationed at intervals throughout the 

 plains, standing motionless during a whole forenoon, coolly watch- 

 ing with a philosophic eye the movements of the other game, 

 eternally uttering a loud snorting noise, and also a short, sharp 



